Why do you keep on mentioning Miki? I didn't even mention her in my original post. :sheesh: Here's a reality check for you, hun, your cruel comments towards Miki are starting to sound ridiculous. So, unless you want to act like a decent human being and respect the skaters, I will always laugh at your mean and repetitive comments. Geez, don't you have anything better to do?

This is kind of a random question, but with the Japanese men falling out of contention for the gold medal, do you think there is pressure on the judges to give the ladies' title to Mao or Miki?

I didn't sense any sympathy points for the Japanese men after the SP. Why would the ladies be treated differently? Is the ISU only pressuring the judges to give one title to the Japanese, or to the Japanese ladies in particular? A more logical conspiracy would have the ISU award sympathy points for all the Japanese, and provide them with a large PCS cushion in case they make mistakes. But look at the Takahashi's GOE and PCS.

Perhaps the earthquake in Japan might have actually weakened the Japanese Fed's influence over the ISU. Afterall, money and resources in Japan will now be diverted towards reconstruction and recovery, and so that may dampen money and demand for figure skating in general.

Ando can only hope to beat Kim if Kim has atleast 3 huge errrors OR the competition is in Japan. Since the latter is now out, we are left with the former. Yes that is indeed what I am saying 100%. Ando cant even hope to compete with Kim on neutral ground unless Kim gives her alot of help. A clean short program alone by Kim (which even with alot of inactivity she should be easily capable of) will blow Ando away by a huge margin, and make the long program all but a victory lap. Asada is the wild card as she can still improve her performances further, and if she can she will surpass Ando and put more pressure on Kim. We will see competitive wise if she has.

YES everyones know Kim has more talents than Ando. No need to bring it up! This is figure skating, not beauty contest, and skaters actually got on the podium for what they did on the ice. Not what they are capable of. A win is a win and please give credit to skaters for what they earned rightfully.

^ I don't have any inside track to the mindset of the ISU, but it seems possible that a Japanese lady victory might be pleasing to them. (As for the men, that ship has sailed.)

About the popularity of figure skating in Japan, it is so hot right now that it can't help but cool off. But I don't think that the natural disasters will affect the sport one way or the other.

Just musing out loud.

Well, I suppose it might be pleasing to them if the ISU had any heart. But if we're going to assume they are a cold-hearted scheming organization prone to conspiracies of predetermined winners in "competitions" they sanction (e.g., Worlds), then it's not the most logical expectation.